MTP Sermon Resources

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 May 30, 2021 • Mount Pleasant UMC It is good to be back with you all this morning. Last Sunday was the last day of a week off for me, and it was different. A good different. Most of the time, when I have a week of “staycation,” I start the week with a list of projects, things I want to accomplish, whether around the house or whatever. This time, though, that list was strangely empty, and with Cathy and Rachel both working, it was just Barnabas and I around the house during the day. That first day, there was a stirring in my spirit because, honestly, I’ve been quite tired. This COVID thing and all the stuff around it in the church and in the world has left me spiritually worn out, and as the week began, I clearly heard the word “sabbath” in my spirit. Sabbath, as you may know, is the Biblical idea of rest; we’re all called to rest one day out of seven. That’s the rhythm God established at creation and reinforced in his Top Ten commandments: “Remember the Sa...

  “Sour Faith” Sermon Study Guide for May 30, 2021 Downloadable Version Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 Sabbath… 1. Paul “behaving badly” 2. “Reject Evil” (5:22) “puritanical” / sour faith appearances & accusations 2 Corinthians 5:20 - “ambassadors” a culture of tov (goodness) 3. “Hold On to What is Good” (5:21) John 16:33 - Overcome the world Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What teachings have you heard from Paul that you struggle to understand? When you think of a “killjoy,” who comes to mind? What sort of person always seems to steal the joy from the room? Are there things in your life that might give the “appearance of evil?” How should you respond? Why do we tend to pick and choose which of Paul’s instructions we follow and which ones we don’t? What are some of the misperceptions of the church you have heard from others? What does it mean that Christians are “ambassadors of Christ”? What does it mean to cultivate a culture of goodness? What might that mean ...

  “The Proof of the Pudding is in the Tasting” Sermon Study Guide for May 23, 2021 Downloadable Version Scripture: Acts 2:1-7 1. Pentecost Holy Spirit / “first fruits” Joel 2:28 John 14:16-17 - Comforter Galatians 4:4 - “fullness of time” “birth of the church” Romans 8:9 2. Power of the Holy Spirit “heart strangely warmed” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Titus 3:5 - regeneration Galatians 2:20 Gifts + Fruit Acts 1:8 = “Power…Witnesses” Symbols of the Holy Spirit… Psalm 34:8 - “Taste and see…” Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What has Pentecost meant to you in the past? Imagine yourself in the Upper Room. How would you react to what happened on Pentecost? Why does Jesus refer to the Spirit as a “comforter”? What does a “comforter” do? If the church is “not a building,” what is the church? How can we recognize “the church”? Why do we not “go to church”? In what ways should a believer be impacted by the power of the Holy Spirit? In what way(s) have you experience...

Judges 6:36-40 May 16, 2021 • Mount Pleasant UMC I have always envied people who can zero in on a single conversation in a crowded and noisy room. I find that very difficult. When a room is noisy, I find myself being distracted by other conversations and have to work hard to focus, to concentrate, to hear what’s being said to me instead of what’s being said to everyone else around. As our world has gotten louder and louder, with more and more distractions added to the mix every day, listening has become harder than ever. I heard a speaker say this week that the best way to love someone is to listen to them. And if that’s true in our earthly relationships, it’s every truer in our spiritual life. But, as you probably know, listening to each other is hard and listening to God is even harder. Henri Nouwen, a writer on the spiritual life, once put it this way: “It is clear that we are usually surrounded by so much inner and outer noise that it is hard to truly hear our God when he i...

  “God Told Me” Sermon Study Guide for May 16, 2021 Downloadable Version Scripture: Judges 6:36-40 The best way to love someone… 1. Gideon, “Mighty Warrior” threshing in a hole… “putting out a fleece” Matthew 4:7; 14:28 our problem… 2. God Speaking to Us a. Look to _______________________ b. Ask for _______________________ c. God’s call Calling =   Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Discuss this statement: “The best way to love someone is to listen to them.” How have you experienced the truth of this statement? What helps you “tune out the noise” as you pray? The angel called Gideon “Mighty Warrior,” though he wasn’t yet. What nickname might God give you? What do you think of the practice of “putting out a fleece”? Have you ever done that? What happened? Is our problem more a lack of knowledge or a lack of obedience? Why do you say that? Have you experienced an “abnormal occurrence of an everyday event”? How do you experience it as a message from God? What thr...

Daniel 1:1-14 May 9, 2021 • Mount Pleasant UMC It has been said that if you have a godly mother or grandmother who has been or is praying for you to come to know Jesus, just give up. There is nothing like the prayers of a mother because mothers don't give up, no matter what. Take a listen to Mark Lowry talking about his mama. It’s Mother’s Day and we are thankful today for all of our mothers and those who were and are like mothers to us. We're thankful for all the women who have made a difference in our lives, but especially we are thankful for their prayers. Who knows how much eternity has been impacted and eternal destinies have been shaped by the prayers of a mother. Our own movement was shaped in many ways by the prayers of a mother. We usually talk about John Wesley being the founder of the Methodist movement, but at least equal credit should be given to his mother, Susanna Wesley, who prayed for her children regularly. The story is told that the children knew not to d...